Rain and Snow
by Elessar King
Summary: Two little short POV pieces, one when it rained and one when it snowed. nonslash.
1. It Will Rain

This little piece was when the plot bunnies were lurking last night and bit me. So, it's short and sweet and wouldn't go away until I wrote it lol. Enjoy.

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It Will Rain

It's raining outside. Earlier it had been so loud out there, lots of things going on. It's always like that. But now, it's quiet, except for the sound of the rain. I can just imagine the dark clouds looming above. I close my eyes and rest my head against the cool stone wall behind me. The rhythm of the rain helps me finally to relax.

He probably doesn't notice the rain. It's just as well, he's had a long day. I open my eyes and look down at him in worry. He looks so pale in the firelight, but at least he's stopped shivering. Perhaps listening to the rain isn't a good thing anymore; it reminds me.

I curse myself for the millionth time, I should have seen it earlier. If I am the one they look to for leadership, then what kind of a leader neglects to see the very thing which nearly cost his best friend's life? And the rain didn't help, in fact it made it worse. By the time I did notice...it was because he was coughing so hard he couldn't breathe. What kind of a leader am I?

As if that wasn't enough, we couldn't go home in peace. But at least he wasn't hurt, I would never forgive myself for that. I look down over his shoulder at my wounded arm draped lightly across his chest. The sling is still around my neck, I should take it off.

He stirs slightly in my arms, shivering again. I gently pull him closer, trying to keep him warm beneath my cloak. Dark brown eyes open, just barely visible, looking up at me; his head resting on my shoulder. "Arthur...shouldn't you be resting in your room as Tristan said?" he whispers hoarsely.

I smile slightly, "I should, but I'd rather be with you." He reaches out from under my crimson cloak and lightly touches the bandage on my arm.

"Some pair we are, wounded and-..." he starts but his body shakes suddenly in a fit of coughing and he can't finish. I gently rub his chest, trying to calm him. But this is why I am here and not in my own room.

When it's over, I feel his warm forehead against my neck. He breathes hard, hoarsely. I sigh, wishing I could take this away, and rest my cheek against his soft, curly hair. "It's over now," I say to him quietly, "Go back to sleep...shhh..." But I never stop rubbing his chest. Just like a child, I observe.

A hand reaches up, catching my own. I smile as his eyes drift shut again and the grip on my hand lessens. I don't think I'll sleep tonight. No..not when I have something to guard over. But in the quiet, my mind wanders into the deep, endless oblivion of darkness. What would I do if I didn't have this? What would I do if I failed him?

My mind wanders down paths I wish it hadn't. I picture many different lives, pictures I never hope come true. But then I stop. I listen again to the rain. We are both here, perhaps not in the best of conditions, but we are. I let my eyes close and finally fall asleep, curled in the corner of his room, on top of his bed, holding him in my arms.

Tomorrow things will be better now that we're home again. And tomorrow it will rain.


	2. It Will Snow

It Will Rain was originally intended to be a stand-alone piece. But when my Master reviewed it and mentioned something about the howling wind and snow creeping in through the wall…I got this mental image and the bunnies returned…so I ended up with another one, lol. But I like it. Anyway, hope you like it too.

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It Will Snow

A week ago, our roles were reversed, weren't they? But a lot of things can change in a week. A week ago it was raining. Now it snows.

It had swept through one of the villages before I inadvertently brought it here. It's not all that dangerous, only a handful of people have died from it really. The very young or the very old or the very weak. However, it's not pleasant, I know that first hand. Just to be in the same room with someone who's sick means likely you'll be sick within a few days.

I absently run my fingers through his dark hair, messing it up even more. He does the same to me when I am wounded or ill. His head lays in my lap, the blankets pulled up to his chest, with his wounded arm gently placed on top. I slowly reach to touch the bandage again. I did this...I was sick, so he looked after me. And in return now he lays in his own bed, wandering the same fevered dreams that I did.

He starts coughing again and I pull him up, holding him the way he held me. "Shh..don't fight it," I whisper to him. I can feel the warmth radiating under his clothes. It's colder in here, it always has been, and he shivers. I pull him closer.

"Lancelot..." he gasps as the coughing finally leaves his chest alone.

"I'm here," I answer, "Rest, it'll be over soon."

We stay that way, our roles reversed. I hold him this time, instead of him holding me. My back lays against the cold stone wall, but he still keeps me warm. _"Arthur..."_ I whisper to his ear in my native tongue, his forehead rests against mine, _"Forgive me...rest and get better. You have no rain to listen to...but when you are better, we can see the snow."_

I feel him smile slightly, nestling into my arms. I know he can't understand what I say, just as I can't understand his Latin. But I think he doesn't need to understand.

The wind howls by the window and I can feel the elements pounding on the wall behind me. The cold has become alive and slowly seeps through the walls, but it never touches us. We can't hear the rain because it's not raining anymore. It will snow.


End file.
